can't update nested entities while doing patch

[VincentDugard]

API Platform version(s) affected: 2.6.2

Description
After upgrading from api platform 2.5.7 to 2.6.2, updating nested entites using patch request (application/merge-patch+json) result in inserting new nested entities even if id attribute is provided.

How to reproduce
https://github.com/Adrillex/api-platform-2.6-patch-bug

The above project is a simple project with only two entities "resource" and "subresource".
to reproduce the bug :

• post a resource containing a subresource :

{
    "name": "test",
    "subResources": [
        {
            "name": "test1"
        }
    ]
}

• try to PATCH this resource and modify the subresource
  {{baseUrl}}/resources/1
Content-Type: application/merge-patch+json

{
    "name": "test",
    "subResources": [
        {
            "id": 1,
            "name": "test2"
        }
    ]
}

It result in inserting a new subresource instead of updating the old one (like if the id property wasn't provided) :

{
    "@context": "/contexts/Resource",
    "@id": "/resources/1",
    "@type": "Resource",
    "id": 1,
    "name": "test",
    "subResources": [
        {
            "@id": "/sub_resources/2",
            "@type": "SubResource",
            "id": 2,
            "name": "test2"
        }
    ]
}

I noticed that If I do the exact same request using PUT, it works. BTW actually the PUT behavior seems to be exactly the one PATCH should be since I can use PUT to modify a resource without replacing it entirely.
I can also do a POST resource while modifying the subresource, it also works.

It looks like the problem is only with PATCH

[Charles-Emmanuel-DEZANDEE]

API Platform version(s) affected: 2.6.2

Description
After upgrading from api platform 2.5.7 to 2.6.2, updating nested entites using patch request (application/merge-patch+json) result in inserting new nested entities even if id attribute is provided.

How to reproduce
https://github.com/Adrillex/api-platform-2.6-patch-bug

The above project is a simple project with only two entities "resource" and "subresource".
to reproduce the bug :

• post a resource containing a subresource :

{
    "name": "test",
    "subResources": [
        {
            "name": "test1"
        }
    ]
}

• try to PATCH this resource and modify the subresource
  {{baseUrl}}/resources/1
Content-Type: application/merge-patch+json

{
    "name": "test",
    "subResources": [
        {
            "id": 1,
            "name": "test2"
        }
    ]
}

It result in inserting a new subresource instead of updating the old one (like if the id property wasn't provided) :

{
    "@context": "/contexts/Resource",
    "@id": "/resources/1",
    "@type": "Resource",
    "id": 1,
    "name": "test",
    "subResources": [
        {
            "@id": "/sub_resources/2",
            "@type": "SubResource",
            "id": 2,
            "name": "test2"
        }
    ]
}

I noticed that If I do the exact same request using PUT, it works. BTW actually the PUT behavior seems to be exactly the one PATCH should be since I can use PUT to modify a resource without replacing it entirely.
I can also do a POST resource while modifying the subresource, it also works.

It looks like the problem is only with PATCH

+1
I have the same problem
it's work when I'm use : "id" : "/sub_resources/2" for the subressource in PATCH method.
but in PUT method "@id" : "/sub_resources/2" works.
it's magic.

[soyuka]

The behavior explained at https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7386#section-3 shows that arrays must be replaced. Therefore this is the sole implementation of the merge-patch specification. The JSON PATCH specification (that is not implemented yet) may help solve that issue (https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6902#appendix-A.2). I'm closing this issue and we will follow that at #759